1. What languages do you speak? When do you speak each language?

a. Hawaiian, English, and pidgin

b. Speak Hawaiian when speaking with people who speak Hawaiian, most of the
time with teachers
c. Pidgin with friends
d. English in any professional environment
e. First spoken and academic language was Hawaiian
2. How did you learn English? What helped you to learn English?
a. Academic: 4th grade, reading at home with mom and afterschool tutoring
b. English-speaking school: 9th grade, it was different from 4th grade and difficult
because the translations didn’t always match. Meaning got lost in translation.
3. What was English immersion school like for you? Describe the ESL/ELL/LEP program
you were in.
a. It was a different environment and felt like I was at a disadvantage. Students
knew more than I did and I had to work harder to get the same grade. Had to go
to extra after school programs.
b. Wizkids: a learning aid, where based off of your baseline test scores they gave
you activities to help improve certain areas. Enrolled in this program after 4th
grade.
4. Did you feel a sense of belonging at school? Explain.
a. No, because it seemed like everyone had a different perspective of school and it
became more of an individual thing.
i. School was something that other students ​had​ to do (hoʻoluhi) and for
him he had a different way of thinking
1. Difference in thinking maybe because of different environment
a. When you grow up in immersion setting you’re not given
everything, there is a unity and togetherness. When he
started going to a “western education” it was more about
yourself and how well you compete with your peers.
5. Why was English grammar difficult to learn? What was the most difficult grammar
structure to learn?
a. English is hard because you don’t say what you see
i. Silent letters were difficult and learning how to spell in general
b. Subject-verb agreement was difficult, maybe because those are generalized in
Hawaiian
6. What were some stereotypes others had about you? How did it make you feel?
a. Everyone assumed he was “the Hawaiian guy”
i. They assumed that he knew everything and anything Hawaiian
ii. Pule
b. Sometimes it made him feel good and knowledgeable, but other times it made
him feel like they didn’t want the knowledge for themselves. They just wanted to
finish their homework and get an A.
7. How important is it to “speak English like an American”? Which sounds are difficult to
pronounce? How do others react to you when you speak English?
a. On a scale of 1-10 it’s a 7 in the society we live in. If you can’t then you probably
can’t get a career.
b. Silent letters, and ph and gh
i. Some times theres 2 l’s
8. Tell me about a teacher who helped you to learn English. What did the teacher do
differently than the other teachers?
a. 10th grade English teacher- He taught English with Pacific literature. He pushed
a little bit more so he could do better
b. 9th grade English teacher was understanding and conducted the class in a more
helpful way
9. Tell me about a time when someone (e.g., teacher, classmate, community member) did
something that discouraged you from learning English. How did you react? What would
you like to tell this person?
a. 8th grade popcorn reading and he mispronounced a word in science class and
everyone started laughing
10. Have you reached your goal for learning English? Explain.
a. Yes, because he got his degree and he has a career as an engineer. That feels
like a qualification to function in society
11. What is the best way to learn English? What would you recommend that teachers do to
help students learn English?
a. Learning through home culture, it would keep them interested in what they are
learning and they still learn new vocabulary and you can still teach English
structure.